In the context of semiconductor structures, a buffer typically refers to a layer of semiconductor material sandwiched between two disparate material layers to accommodate a difference in lattice constants or crystallographic structures of those layers. A buffer effectively inhibits misfit dislocation between the disparate layers, and can also induce strain in neighboring layers. The composition of the buffer can be selected based on the composition of the disparate layers.
As will be appreciated, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale or intended to limit the claimed invention to the specific configurations shown. For instance, while some figures generally indicate straight lines, right angles, and smooth surfaces, an actual implementation of an integrated circuit structure may have less than perfect straight lines, right angles, and some features may have surface topology or otherwise be non-smooth, given real world limitations of the processing equipment and techniques used. In short, the figures are provided merely to show example structures.